I need to have a cardiologist sign off on a pre surgery form. For eye surgery,minor.
I was referred to a cardio because my EKG showed some T wave abnormal, minimum stuff. I am in good health but probably do have some plaque in my arteries. I can easily fix it with vegan diet and exercise that I have already started. The GP who took the EKG
referred me to a cardio so I went to one up the road. He said I will sign you off if you pass a stress test. Fair enough. The nurse came up to me and said we can do it here if you want.
Hospital. She quickly said it will cost 2000$ and we need cash in advance. I laughed at her.
I said I can get a stress test at any out testing clinic for a few hundred dollars.She got mad and her face went red. I stopped by to pick up the test order and they said the Doctor wouldnt allow the test anywhere else. Total fraud. I left.I am a cash payer.No insurance.
Now I cant have the eye surgery until I get cleared. The eye clinic is totally strict about it.
I have to find a cardio in Florida that is not an organized thief. Someone who will send for the minimal amount of tests needed and not pile them on to generate absurd fees.
Someone who will be fine having tests done at wherever they are cheapest. I am a self payer. I need to do this soon. I am in Florida for the winter only and the eye surgery was the main reason I am here.
Who can point me toward a cardio group in northern or central Florida that is true in their work and not part of the disgusting fraudulent trend of sucking in money by organizing extremely overpriced testing way over what is needed.If you have ears
for this, please leave some info to get me headed to a quality cardio...

RandomUserAZ

01-19-2013 01:00 AM

Re: avoiding test robbery

Do they require a regular stress test or the nuclear stress test?

I'd go back to the GP and ask for another referral, and let them know the specifics of why.

For fun, you might want to contact a local reporter and see if they want to do a story. I'm sure you're not the only one that has happened to.

yackedar

01-19-2013 01:23 PM

Re: avoiding test robbery

[QUOTE=hb1944;5119330]... but probably do have some plaque in my arteries. I can easily fix it with vegan diet and exercise that I have already started. [/QUOTE]

Not quite that easy.
Diet nor exercise have ever been proven to halt or reverse many years of arterial damage.

The root cause of high cholesterol in people who have not inherited this condition is..........inflammation. Inflammation creates an increase in the production of LDL by the liver to target the damaged scarred artery/arteries caused by inflammation wear, or in more severe cases, inflammation and high blood pressure.
The repair operation then commences. However once repaired, inflammation causes further damage to the LDL repaired area and this process goes on and on, until the inevitable happens.

Target Inflammation and look into:
Dark sugarless chocolate with minimum 85% Cocoa.
Cocoa powder as a daily evening drink.
Glisodin (S.O.D) - But only the original French manufactured enzyme.
Last but by no means least......Pomegranate Juice......But only from the POM variety pomegranate as this product has favourable study results.

xx1944

01-19-2013 04:11 PM

Re: avoiding test robbery

what costs have you heard for the 2 different kinds of stress tests???
BTW I have no angina, can walk miles,.BP is normal.I did start to do push ups and curls and was weak for the first few sessions but thats all. Now its nothing. No matter what the whole story is, I need to have the surgery. I am in way better shape than 80% of the elderly people who have it done.
And they survive the 10 minutes of partial anesthesia.
I believe fasting and a cholestrol free diet will clear plaque. At least some. I am also doing no dairy,bread,sugar 99%, but I will eat ocean caught salmon if I find it. In 2 ounce portions.I am eating granola with honey in small amounts and soymilk.
I Need to find a Doc who knows the crap out there and can work with me to get this solved. If anyone hears of a place that fits ,keep this post in mind. I will keep checking it.
I thought the eye clinic would have had help to get this solved but they dont seem to give a ****. This state has so many old retired types that they always have enough patients.
There must be some old Docs around who are signing off these older people even with
multiple health issues and meds.

Titchou

01-19-2013 04:21 PM

Re: avoiding test robbery

I'd just call the GP and tell him you can't afford the referral doc and can he send you somewhere else. I've done similar things before and the doctor was very accomodating.

RandomUserAZ

01-19-2013 08:47 PM

Re: avoiding test robbery

I doubt they really need a cardiologist to sign off on it.

I had cataract surgery with IOL replacement and my GP signed off on the physical both times.

Whilst consuming high levels of cholesterol the liver if functioning correctly will counterbalance this by producing less and vice versa.

Prior to three years ago, I was on that regime for five years. At the end of that five years I developed angina attacks every single day for four months and then landed up in hospital having a 95% blockage 'stented' in my LAD.

Believe me, diet, fasting, nor exercise will clear an inflammation invoked condition as long as that inflammation exists.
To date there have been no completed medical studies to support your statement. You have to address the root cause first.

Been there, seen it and done it.

Yack.

RandomUserAZ

01-20-2013 09:09 AM

Re: avoiding test robbery

My cardiologist recently told me that having LDL Under 70 "MAY" reduce plaque, especially when combined with high HDL. They've recently changed the guidelines and under-70 is considered to be a "therapeutic option" as well as a goal for those with severe cardiovascular risks.

So it isn't just diet and fasting, you have to get your cholesterol down significantly to have any chance of clearing it out. That is my current goal and why I agreed to go on a statin even though I didn't really need it.

Five years ago, my total cholesterol was 246 and my LDL was 169 and I was 50-pounds overweight. Through diet and exercise alone, I lost all that weight and brought down my numbers to 156/93, which is in the 'good range'.

However, that can't instantly fix 20+ years of eating poorly and not exercising properly. Tests showed that I had buildup and incipient heart disease so I agreed to go on a statin and increase my exercise routine in an attempt to reverse that. I was told that having higher HDL, especially, was the most beneficial way, because that is the process by which excess cholesterol is taken back to the liver.

After starting the statin, my numbers dropped to 118/66 and I'm going to try to maintain it in that range in hopes that I will reverse (or at the very least halt) the plaque buildup.